Guard-rail for bridges and like structures.



T- J. CARTER.

GUARD RAIL FOR BRIDGESAND LIKE STRUCTURES.

APPLICATION FILED Nov.1I 1912. RENEWED MAR. 13,1915.

1,144,295. PatentedJune 22, 1915.

AZTOHNEYS THE NORRIS PETERS CO-, PHOTO-LlTHO-, WASHINGTON, D. C.

TINTTED STATES PATEN T @FFTQE.

THOMAS JACKSON CARTER, 0F ROANOKE, VIRGINIA.

GUARD-RAIL FOR BRIDGES AND LIKE STRUCTURES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 22, 1915.

Application filed November 1, 1912, Serial No. 729,089. Renewed March 13, 1915. Serial No. 14,219.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS J. CARTER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Roanoke, in the county of Roanoke and State of Virginia, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Guard-Rails for Bridges and like Structures, of which the following is a specification.-

My present invention relates broadly to railway track structures, and more particularly to the guard rails used upon bridges,

and like structures, my object being to provide an inexpensive guard rail which will present a great advantage in durability over the wooden beams now employed as guard rails and Which will serve to form a convenient and secure connection for certain elements adapted to extend between the track ties and effectively space the same apart.

With the above in mind my invention resides in details to be now described with ref erence to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, and in which, Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section through a portion of a bridge track, illustrating my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a similar view of a portion of Fig. 2 illustrating the adjusted position of the tie spacing member between ties placed a greater distance apart. Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the two tie spacing members illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 illustrating slightly modified forms of tie spacing members. Fig. 6is a perspective view of the tie spacing members illustrated in Fig. 5, and Fig. 7 is a similar view of a tie spacing member constituting another modified form.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing, the bridge beams A, one of which is shown in Fig. 2, support the track ties B upon which are placed the track rails O. Ordinarily heavy wooden beams are secured longitudinally along the track parallel with the rails C and spaced from the other side thereof. These beams are however, open to serious objection inasmuch as in the present day they are quite expensive and are comparatively short lived, due to the fact that they are exposed to the weather at all times. In view of this disadvantage I propose a guard rail which is indicated at D in the several figures in which it appears, and

which as may be plainly seen is similar in .with base flanges is ing base flanges.

As will be hereinafter seen a guard rail of considerable importance and great advantage inasmuch as it is so readily adapted to the connection of various types of tie spacing members. Certain of these tie spacing members are indicated at E in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4% and comprise body portions 6 through which a longitudinal series of transverse openings 6 are formed. The upper portions of bodies 6 are provided with overlying flanges e which are adapted to engage the base flange d of the guard rail D. A pair of members E are engaged upon opposite sides of the rail base between each pair of ties B, the bodies 6 extending throughout the entire space between the ties B as shown in Fig. 2 and beneath the base of the guard rail, and being secured in such position by clamping bolts F extending through certain of their openings 6. In view of the fact that the openings 6 are arranged in longitudinal series, it may be readily seen that should the space between ties, for instance the ties B as shown in Fig. 3, be greater than the length of the bodies 6, the members E may be secured together in non-alined relation as will be seen by inspection of this figure. In this manner the entire space between the ties is taken up and the ties thus effectively held against accidental displacement.

Instead of the members E engaging the guard rail base flanges cl to form a connection, I may utilize angle bars Gr adapted to extend transversely across the base of the guard rail and against the sides of the adjacent ties as shown in Fig. 5, these members G being apertured at g as indicated in Fig. 6, whereby they may be secured by rivets 9 through the guard rail base cl.

I'may also use another form of tie spac ing member as illustrated in Fig. 7, and which is substantially a section H of a channel beam, this structure being secured by rivets through the guard rail base flanges in a similar manner to the form already shown in Figs. 5 and 6, although, unlike the first described forms of my invention, it can not be adjusted tooccupy spaces of different dimensions between ties.

Thus from theforegoing it will be readily apparent that I provide a guard rail, the cost of which is slight and certainly not more than the beams usually employed for the purpose, and which has an immeasurable advantage over such beams, inasmuch as after being once secured in proper position, it will last practically a life time.

I claim:

, 1. In track structures of the character described, the combination with the track ties, of a guard rail having base flanges, and tie spacing members having connection with the said base flanges and adjustable so as to engagethe sides of the ties irrespective of the distances between such ties.

2. In" bridge track structures of the character described", the combination with the track ties, of a guard rail having base flanges; and tie spacing members comprising body portions disposed between the ties and beneath the guard rail, said body portions of said spacing members having overlying flanges engageable with the base flanges of the guard rail, clamping bolts extending through the said body portion for connecting the same, the said body portions of said tie'spacing members having O'opies 01. this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner otfatents,

Washington, D. G. 

